About

A Little History

The UW-Muslim Students’ Association Orphan Sponsorship Program (UW-MSA OSP) was launched in Spring 2007. The goal at the time was to sponsor two orphans for the duration of the year. However, due to the overwhelming response of volunteers and the broader community, 6 orphans were sponsored. Since then, we have grown and now are in the process of sponsoring 44 orphans!

Our Vision

Opening the window of hope for orphans around the world.

Our Mission

To motivate people towards making a difference in the lives of orphans by raising funds and increasing awareness.

Our Slogan

Helping you, help orphans

The Big Picture

We collect donations through events and volunteer contributions. 100% of the donations collected are transferred to the following Canadian federally registered charities:

These organizations then sponsor orphans from around the world.

Cost Breakdown

breakdown

How it Works

Donors can choose to donate to one of the following programs:

  • Adopt-an-Orphan
  • The OSP pool

The Adopt-an-Orphan option allows donors to sponsor a child on their own on a recurring basis. A yearly $360 donation is required for this option. All smaller donations go to the OSP pool, and the committee aggregates the funds to re-sponsor existing orphans and sponsor new ones.

Quick Stats

Amount raised: $33,000+
Orphans Sponsored:
42 (in process)
Orphans’ Countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bosnia,Guyana, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Kenya, Lebanon, Pakistan, Palestine, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan

Our Motivation

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “I and the guardian of orphans are like this.” He raised his forefinger and middle finger to illustrate the closeness.

Of the 2.2 billion children worldwide, 1 billion live in poverty and 30,000 children die each day. That is about 210,000 children each week or just under 11 million children under five years of age, each year. And they “die quietly in some of the poorest villages on earth, far removed from the scrutiny and the conscience of the world. Being meek and weak in life makes these dying multitudes even more invisible in death.”

The OSP is our small way of giving back. We are honoured to play a part in our collective responsibility to help the underprivileged around the world.

Past Events

Throughout the year, the OSP hosts numerous events aimed at both raising awareness and collecting funds. Some of our past activities include:

* Orphan relief barbecues
* Bake sales
* Mosque collections
* Ramadan and Eid card sales
* Squash tournaments

The OSP also collaborates with other organizations for relief activities. Recently, we collaborated with the Afri-Can Connection to raise over $2,100 towards building a well for an impoverished Muslim village in Ghana.

UW MSA OSP Committee

Muhammad Abduhu (Chair)
Abdulwahab Bhatti
Maria Aslam
Zohair Anwer
Semra Shaji
Mohammad Hasan Naim
Usman Akhtar

Advisors:
Mujtaba Jilani
Adeel Khan
Taybah Bhatti
Tareq Ismail